The Fades (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Fades is a British supernatural
drama
television series broadcast on BBC Three
and BBC HD
. The first of six episodes aired on 21 September 2011.
The programme centres on an English teenager named Paul who is haunted by apocalyptic dreams that nobody can explain and is able to see spirits of the dead, known as the Fades, all round him. The Fades cannot be seen, smelt, heard or touched by other humans – they are what is left of humans who have died but not been accepted into Heaven. As such, the Fades left on Earth have become embittered and vengeful towards the human race. We are shown in the first episode that the Fades have found a way to become partly human again and regain control of touch within the real world. However, they remain unseen in the world except to those special few like Paul – 'Angelics' – who have the ability to perceive the Fades. Paul finds himself pulled into a conflict between the Angelics and the Fades, trying to prevent the Fades from breaking back into the world and destroying the human race.
The school scenes were filmed at Queens School, Bushey
. The majority of the location filming took place in South Oxhey
, Oxhey
, Watford
and Hemel Hempstead
.
Michael Deacon, of the Telegraph newspaper, described the pilot episode as "promisingly tense."
Writing for the Guardian
, Ben Dowell commented that the series proved that "It is difficult not to watch BBC3 and E4 and think channels which target the under 35s are emerging as amongst the best places for boldness and innovation in UK TV drama."
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series broadcast on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
. The first of six episodes aired on 21 September 2011.
The programme centres on an English teenager named Paul who is haunted by apocalyptic dreams that nobody can explain and is able to see spirits of the dead, known as the Fades, all round him. The Fades cannot be seen, smelt, heard or touched by other humans – they are what is left of humans who have died but not been accepted into Heaven. As such, the Fades left on Earth have become embittered and vengeful towards the human race. We are shown in the first episode that the Fades have found a way to become partly human again and regain control of touch within the real world. However, they remain unseen in the world except to those special few like Paul – 'Angelics' – who have the ability to perceive the Fades. Paul finds himself pulled into a conflict between the Angelics and the Fades, trying to prevent the Fades from breaking back into the world and destroying the human race.
The school scenes were filmed at Queens School, Bushey
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
. The majority of the location filming took place in South Oxhey
South Oxhey
South Oxhey is a suburb of Watford in the Watford Rural parish of the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England. It is located in the south western corner of Hertfordshire and close to the boundary with Greater London.-History:...
, Oxhey
Oxhey
Oxhey is a suburb of the borough of Watford in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is located at and forms part of the Watford post town....
, Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
and Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
.
Characters
| Name | Actor | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Roberts | Iain de Caestecker | ||
| The 17-year-old protagonist. | |||
| Michael 'Mac' Armstrong | Daniel Kaluuya Daniel Kaluuya Daniel Kaluuya is an English actor, comedian and writer, who is best known for playing Posh Kenneth in the E4 teen-drama Skins. He has most recently been seen starring in the BBC dark comedy series Psychoville playing Michael Fry and Mac in the new BBC 3's horror drama The Fades.-Biography:Kaluuya... |
||
| Paul's best friend. | |||
| Neil Valentine | Johnny Harris Johnny Harris (actor) Johnny Harris is an English actor.Harris was born in Lambeth, London. He left school with no qualifications. He won the Junior ABA National Boxing title aged 16, and lived in Paris, France between the ages of 17 and 20 before returning to London and embarking on an acting career.Upon completion of... |
||
| An Angelic, and Paul's mentor. | |||
| Sarah Etches | Natalie Dormer Natalie Dormer Natalie Dormer is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Victoria in Casanova and as the ill-fated queen Anne Boleyn in the Showtime series The Tudors.-Early life and current lifestyle:... |
||
| A Fade, who in life was an Angelic, and the wife of Mark. | |||
| Mark Etches | Tom Ellis Tom Ellis (actor) Tom Ellis is a Welsh actor best known for playing Dr. Oliver Cousins in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Detective Sergeant Sam Speed in a Life on Mars parody on the The Catherine Tate Show... |
||
| Sarah's husband, and Paul's history teacher. | |||
| Helen | Daniela Nardini Daniela Nardini Daniela Nardini is a Scottish actress of Italian ancestry, best known for playing Anna Forbes in the BBC Two television series This Life. The role earned her a BAFTA Best Actress award in 1998 and also earned her a Scottish BAFTA... |
||
| An Angelic. | |||
| Meg | Claire Rushbrook Claire Rushbrook Claire Rushbrook is an English film and television actress best known for her lead and support roles in various episodic television series.-Background:... |
||
| Mother of Paul and Anna | |||
| Anna Roberts | Lily Loveless Lily Loveless Lily May Loveless is an English actress, best known for her role as Naomi Campbell in the BAFTA award winning drama Skins.-Career:... |
||
| Paul’s twin sister. | |||
| Jay | Sophie Wu | ||
| Anna's best friend, and the object of Paul's affection. | |||
| John | Ian Hanmore Ian Hanmore Ian Hanmore is a Scottish actor who has played key supporting roles in various British television shows.Hanmore was born in Edinburgh. He is best-known for his role as Father Angelo in the 2006 Doctor Who episode "Tooth and Claw". He is currently starring as the main antagonist, Polus, in the new... /Joe Dempsie |
||
| A Fade and the primary antagonist of the series. | |||
| Natalie | Jenn Murray Jenn Murray Jenn Murray is an actress from Northern Ireland. Nominated for The 6th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards.-Filmography:-References:* *... |
||
| A Fade, and follower of John. | |||
| Steve McEwan | Chris Mason | ||
| Anna's boyfriend. | |||
Episodes
| # | Episode | Director | Writer(s) | Original air date | Viewing figure |
|---|
Reception
Audience figures for the series have so far been strong for a BBC Three serial: starting from an initial figure of 0.7 million viewers for the pilot episode.Michael Deacon, of the Telegraph newspaper, described the pilot episode as "promisingly tense."
Writing for the Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Ben Dowell commented that the series proved that "It is difficult not to watch BBC3 and E4 and think channels which target the under 35s are emerging as amongst the best places for boldness and innovation in UK TV drama."